Recovery in community mental health: thesis report

Abstract

The 450-hour advanced practicum took place at Canadian Mental Health Association Muskoka-Parry Sound (CMHAMPS) in Parry Sound, Ontario, in the counselling program and the early intervention program. CMHAMPS has set out to integrate mental health recovery into mental health services as urged by the Mental Health Commission of Canada in an attempt to reform the mental health system. The advanced practicum project was directed by the concept of mental health recovery, as originally conceived of and envisioned by psychiatric consumer/survivors; in light of how recovery is conceived of, and delivered in community mental health services. This entailed research and understanding of the origin of recovery and the original intentions of the paradigm in comparison to how mental health recovery has been implemented in mental health practice with the medical model. The utilization of anti-oppressive social work practice, structural social work practice and anti-sanism helped guide learning on how to form an alliance with mental health service users for personal and broader social change as a social worker without lived experience of madness. Narrative therapy and mindfulness practice were interventions utilized during the advanced practicum through one-to-one counselling and group sessions and are interventions that may complement recovery as envisioned by psychiatric consumer/survivors.